Never Let Me Go
by comatose51
Summary: A collection of one-shots and drabbles, updated every week or so. A little NaruSaku love is needed since Naruto is nearing the end! Rated T just in case.
1. Support

**Hey there! Just a quick note to any readers who come upone this: Thank you for clicking in! This is a collection of NaruSaku oneshots and drabbles, soon to be updated every week or so. Enjoy!**

SUPPORT

Naruto was tired. His battered body ached with the need to sleep. However, his mind seemed set on destroying his body's desperate needs.

Every night, he flicked the lights to his cluttered apartment, ready to drop from his taxing mission. Every night, he wearily pulled the sandals from his feet, retiring to his bed without so much as removing his forehead protecter. Every night, he fell into a restless slumber, tossing and turning as the nightmares possessed his dreams, infesting them with the darkest of poisons.

And, every night, he ended up on his balcony, staring across Konoha in an exhausted stupor, too scared to return to his vivid dreamscape. The more prominent the war became, the more disturbing and bloody of a turn his dreams took.

This vicious cycle had resulted in a staggering drop in Naurto's attention span, energy, agility, and mentality in battle, which, in turn, resulted in a brutal smack down by Granny Tsunade.

"Are you TRYING to get KILLED?" she had shrieked, throwing her entire desk at him in the process.

Now, he walked the empty streets, feet dragging through the packed, dusty road. It was almost midnight, but he didn't care. Going home would only remind him of his horrific dreams. So, he stuck to aimless wandering . . . or, so he thought.

It wasn't until he reached Sakura's door that he realized he _did _have a destination. However, the pink-haired kunoichi had been away on an S-rank mission for some time now. Naruto doubted that she was back, but he knocked anyways, dully anticipating the thought of her opening the door.

After some time, he decided that she really hadn't returned yet. Groaning, he sat on her doorstep, head burrowed in his dirty hands.

He _had _to see her . . . he had to know that she was all right. His constant nightmares were ruining his precious sense of reality. If he didn't see her soon, he was afraid she would-

"Naruto?"

The inquired boy leapt, nerves getting the better of him. He whirled around, hollow eyes blazing for the first time in days.

"S-Sakura-Chan!" he stuttered, faltering a bit, "you're back!"

The medic-nin smiled slightly. "Idiot," she muttered playfully, "I got back ten minutes ago."

"Oh . . . I see . . ." Naruto mumbled, stance slackening in bodily relief.

Sakura scowled, investigating Naruto. He looked . . . sick. _Very _sick. "Come on in . . ." she said, concerned. Moving aside deftly, she allowed him entrance. He did so in a drugged-type way, body slurred and choppy.

"How was your mission?" he asked plaintatively, brushing his fingertips along the wall of the front room.

Sakura watched him carefully. Even his voice was dead. "Fine," she answered, shutting the door with a timid click. She leaned against it nonchalently, back pressed to the cool steel.

He nodded blankly, absent-mindedly tugging at one of his frayed sleeves.

An awkward silence hung in the air, so tangible that Sakura could have sliced it with a kunai. That was _not _common. Usually, she couldn't shut Naruto up without a firm punch.

Sighing, the concerned girl spoke. "Naruto. What's wrong?"

"Huh?" he grunted, empty eyes flikering. "Oh . . . nothing."

Who was he kidding?

Sakura folded her arms, disbelief gleaming in her eyes. "All right. If there isn't anything wrong, why are you appearing on my doorstep at midnight, looking like you just rolled your body in blood and dirt?" Looking him up and down, she added, "You look like a zombie."

He glanced at his clothes, just now noticing how tattered and fallen apart he looked. Frowning, he muttered, "I don't know . . . I just _am_."

A vein twitched on Sakura's forehead. "Well, remember, idiot."

A familiarly warm sensation stirred in Naruto's heart at the sound of his familiar nickname. Before he could think, he remembered why his was there in startling clarity.

Sakura blinked when the storm in Naruto's eyes suddenly dissipated. "Hey, did you reme-"

Her sentence was cut short when Naruto suddenly turned, seizing her around the torso in a fierce hug. His face pressed into the base of her neck, warming her skin under his own.

He began to tremble . . . And, for a moment, Naruto Uzumaki, the bravest ninja in all of Konoha, seemed breakable as glass.

Sakura, stunned, ignored the inner urge to playfully shove hime away and call him names. No . . . He needed her support right now. He needed it _badly_. Her arms crept around his neck, agile fingers twining through his unkept hair.

Naruto pressed closer when he felt her return his sudden embrace. "I haven't been sleeping," he whispered hoarsely, "I've been having . . . nightmares . . ."

Sakura had expected this much. "About what?" she murmured, being uncharacteristically gentle.

Naruto hesitated to answer. He didn't really want to tell her, but . . . chances were, she already knew. "What do you think?" he muttered under his breath, lips brushing her skin.

Sakura nodded, pointedly ignoring the gooseflesh that prickled over her skin at his contact. Pressing her flushed cheek into his soft hair, she said, "I dream about him sometimes."

The young man in her arms shuddered violently. "Are they bad?" he asked, sounding very childlike.

Sakura stopped rocking, but continued to run her fingers through his blonde locks. "Yes," she replied, "very."

Naruto pulled her, if possible, even closer. "Mine are awful," he whispered, barely audible, "I haven't slept in days."

Sakura frowned. "That's not good for you. There's a war right over the horizon, Naruto."

"I know."

Sakura pulled away, fingers trailing down his cheek. "Well . . . I'm back now. Do you think you can sleep for me?"

Naruto's tired eyes apprased her, and he slowly nodded. Then, he grinned slightly. "Sakura-Chan . . . could you call me an idiot again?"

Said kunoichi frowned, placing her hands on her hips in a very Sakura-ish manner. "Why?"

He reached for her, brushing a strand of pink hair from her face. "Just . . . please?" he asked, blinking from under his lashes.

Sakura gauged his expression, lips puckered. He looked . . . almost desperate. His eyes suggested that if he didn't hear this from her, he would shatter into a thousand pieces before her very eyes.

"Please," Naruto pled again, hand dropping to his side. His piercing eyes smoldered.

Sakura sighed, folding her arms. "Idiot," she complied, closing her eyes, "idiot, idiot, idiot-"

She stopped abruptly when Naruto's breath tickled her lips. Her brain was instantly frazzled, only able to register the fact that he smelled of pine trees and dirt.

"Don't stop," he murmured, voice barely ticking over a whisper.

Sakura scowled. "What are you trying to pull, Naruto-"

"Don't open your eyes," he interrupted gently, his calloused palm pressed rather suddenly against her eyelids. Then, the pressure was gone.

Sakura hesitated, mouth slightly agape. Truly meaning it this time, she muttered, "Idiot."

His arms were secured around her instantaneously, pressing their bodies flush up against one another. His yearning fingers gathered handfuls of her rough tunic, fulfilling the desperate need to know that this girl, this . . . anchor . . . could not hope to escape into another dreaded nightmare.

Though his embrace was abrupt and rough, his lips could not have been more gentle and sweet when they captured their unsuspecting prey.

Sakura, initially stunned by his sudden actions, did not respond. He was much more urgent than usual.

However, he persisted, allowing himself to gradually taste her, boldly persuading her resiliant lips to part and move against his own.

And Sakura responded, finally tossing aside all reason. She clamped her trembling arms around his neck, once again twining her nimble fingers through his unruly hair.

Naruto gained confidence, pressing his mouth even closer to hers, becoming a touch rough.

Sakura faintly noticed when her back came into contact with the cold wall, but paid no heed. She was rather unable when Naruto's tongue lightly skimmed her bottom lip, causing her to shudder in unexpected pleasure.

Naruto noticed. Smiling against her lips, he finally broke away, all but gasping for breath.

Sakura did the same, lungs urgently pumping as they retrieved the much needed oxygen.

The silence surrounded them, broken only by the sound of relaxed breathing.

"Wow . . ." was the only word that passed Naruto's scrambled thoughts.

Sakura, eyes glazed, nodded. " . . . Wow."

"Sakura-Chan, I had no idea you were such a good kisser-"

WHAM

"You've kissed me before, dipstick!"

Naruto groaned. "So mean . . ."

Sakura gazed at the boistrous ninja, emerald eyes softening considerably. Wiping a stray bit of dirt from his nose affectionately, she sighed, turning away. "I'll pull out my spare futon."

"Ne, Sakura-Chan, can't I just sleep with you?"

She clipped him over the head teasingly.

It was the best Uzumaki Naruto had slept in weeks.

**Thanks for reading! More on the way :)**


	2. Pink

__**Hola. I'm back :) This is a cute little idea I thought of while walking around a local farm the other day . . . lol :) Enjoy!**

_Pink_

"Ne, Sakura-Chan, are you _sure_-?"

"I'm _fine, _Naruto!" Sakura groaned, forehead ticking. "I'ts just a sprain! I'll heal it at the next rest spot."

The orange-clad ninja pouted, lower lip jutting. "But, Sakuraaaaaa-"

He was rebuked by a sudden swipe to the crown.

"I'm fine," she growled, limping away as Naruto massaged the new lump on his head.

"So mean," the disappointed boy whined, jogging to catch up.

It had been an easy mission. A farmer had simply needed help around his run-down barn. Sakura had idiotically tripped over a chicken, sending it flying in a burst of feathers and painfully wrenching her ankle. Naruto had caught her before she fell from the loft in surprise.

"Tch," Naruto clucked, tailing Sakura dejectedly, "if you don't let me carry you, we won't get home till tomorrow."

His subject of conversation glared at him, cinching his jacket closer to her shoulders. "You already gave me this," she pointed at, facing forward again, "you don't need to give me anything else. No carrying!"

Naruto sighed, inching along at a snails pace.

"Why don't you just heal yourself now?" he piped up after about ten minutes.

Sakura grunted. "So that we're not vulnerable to attack."

Which, of course, meant that her pride was wounded. Stupid chicken . . .

Naruto huffed, throwing his arms back to cradle his head. "So slow," he muttered, eyes squinting shut.

"Shut up," Sakura replied, sticking her tongue out at him from over her shoulder.

They fell silent, hobbling away at a grueling pace of .0001 miles per hour.

Naruto, being his usual chatty self, finally spoke up after a few more moments of monotony. "Sakura-Chan!"

The kunoichi grumbled. "What, Naruto?"

"I spy something pink!"

Sakura sighed. "My hair."

"Nope."

She frowned, glancing over. "My top."

"Nuh-uh," he grinned.

Sakura halted in the middle of the street, brows knit at the complexity of this simple question.

Naruto grinned, approaching her quickly. "I'll tell you what it is!"

Sakura crossed her arms, shifting her entire body weight to her good foot. She eyed him, almost daring the knucklehead to come any closer. "Judging by your expression, I don't think I _want _to know what it is."

"It's nothing bad, I promise!"

He had stopped directly in front of her. Glancing away so that there was no eye contact involved, Sakura huffed. "All right, I give up. What is it?"

Suddenly, quick as a flash, Naruto bent down and pressed his lips to her cheek for a split second, instantly leaping away when he pulled back, grinning like he had just escaped a lion's den.

As expected, Sakura flipped. Immediately taking a wild swing at his retreating figure, she cursed when her ankle prevented her from giving chase.

"You wanted to know," Naruto laughed, "so I showed you! It's your _face _right now, Sakura! I predicted it; you're totally blushing!"

Sakura scowled, an aura of imminent death surrounding her body. "Naruto," she hissed, cracking her knuckles, "I spy something red."

Naruto cocked his head. "Eh? What is it?"

Sakura forced a poisoned smile to her face. "I'll give you a hint: It's red, vital to your life, and spills very easily."

"Eh . . . heh?" Naruto cautiously replied.

"Oh," she added, I forgot to mention! I'm _predicting _this!"

**There you have it! Pretty short, but . . . oh well :D ****I will update soon! Stand by :)**


	3. Questions

**Sorry about that long wait! How was your spring break? I actually had my laptop taken away for talking back to my parents . . . . yeah . . . enjoyy!**

Never Let Me Go

3 - Questions

AGE: 10

He approached her boldly, fully intent on asking her if maybe- _maybe _-she would want to play Ninja Tag with him.

"Sakura-Chan!" he cried, waving enthusiastically, "wanna-?"

He instantly veered off when his target of interest let out an excited squeal, screaming "Saaaasuke-Kuuuun!" and bolted off to dote on the brooding Uchiha.

The blonde dropped his head.

AGE: 12

He leaned against a brick wall, waiting impatiently as his new teammate approached from down the street. As she strode closer, he jogged to her side, beaming. "Hey, Sakura-Chan! Let's go get some ramen!"

A fist in the gut was his only reply.

Was it weird he still had butterflies?

AGE: 14

He had finally escaped from the ever-gleaming eye of the Pervy Sage. Now, he was off to tell a certain girl goodbye before he left for training.

"Ne, Sakura-Chan," he called happily, waving like an idiot.

Sakura almost grinned. "What's up, Naruto?"

Said boy scratched his cheek self-consciously, flushing. "Wanna go for a walk in the park?"

The pink-haired kunoichi scowled at him. "For heaven's sake, Naruto, how many times do I have to say no?"

Naruto's eyes flickered, deep emotion peering through the curelean irises. "Millions."

AGE: 16

Naruto stretched, groaning. "Ne," he said, glancing at the kunoichi walking beside him, "Wanna go get some lunch?"

"No," was her immediate (and expected) reply, "I don't really feel like ramen."

Naruto pouted, falling behind. "I wasn't gonna take you to Ichiraku's . . ." he muttered, dashing all thoughts of the fancy buffet he had in mind.

AGE: 18

Naruto was exhausted. Rebuilding the village was extremely strenuous, and he had been working all day. Out of pure habit, he traced his tracks to the hospital, where Sakura was no doubt working very hard.

He found her just inside of the wide doors, ruffling through some documents. She glanced up at him with tired eyes. "Hey."

"Hey," he replied, dropping into the chair at her desk. "Wanna go on a date?"

He waited for her usual rejection, but it never came. Then, the words he had hoped for in many years:

"Yeah . . . I would like that."

AGE: 23

They sat at Ichiraku's, enjoying their informal date.

Sakura took a swig from her glass of water. Suddenly, she began to choke when something almost fell down her throat. She hacked it into her hand, still sputtering as she took a good look at the glinting band in her palm.

Naruto was on his knee, smiling like an idiot . . .

_Her _idiot.

"Marry me?"

**There ya have it! Sorry, it's pretty short! I have two more pretty short ones, then I will type up a super long one for you guys :D **

**Keep in touch!**


	4. Life and Death

**First of all, I offer a huge apology for disappearing for such a long time. I never thought that school would be that tough! Oh well, it's summer now, so I have much more time to write :D this one is short, I feel bad for only posting this. But, it's very tragic and sad, bleh. . . enjoy!**

Life and Death

He sat outside the emercency clinic, face ashen and worried as he watched the monotonous healers pace in and out of the ominous room she had been wheeled into. His fingers dug into his skull as he tried to drive their frantic cries from his mind . . .

_She's losing too much oxygen-not going to make it we'-deathsuffocationdyinggone_

Her screams were still echoing back and forth between the drums in his ears.

He fell asleep to their haunting lullabyes.

He awoke sometime in the early morning.

A healer was gently shaking his shoulder, rubber glove chaffing against his bare skin.

The woman explained the situation as he tried to wake, tried to shake the sleep from his eyes. It was in one ear and out the other until the crushing word _miscarriage_ struck his unsuspecting heart like a fatal lightning bolt.

He was in the room in a split second.

She was there, hugging her stomach, sick and lonely. She was emotionless. She was leaning against a wall, nails clawing the surface, leaving trails of agony.

She was devastated.

He was right beside her in two steps, ignoring the fight she put up, ignoring her screams, ignoring her desire to be left alone, to brood the loss in quiet solitude.

He was pulling her resisting body, crushing her against his chest, suffocating her pain, adding it to the mountain of burdens he bore upon his shoulders.

He was whispering words of love, reminding her that she was all right-there was nothing she could have done. It's not her fault, there will be another time . . .

Over-spoken. Over-assured.

She trusted him. She was calming, reduced to a gleaming puddle of tears in his strong arms.

The burden was much llighter when there was two.

**Well, there you have it, folks. I promise, the next installment is longer . . . :D**


	5. Delivery Room Humor

**Hey guys! Sorry about the wait, I was in Canada for the past week playing some hardcore soccer! :D Enjoy.**

DELIVERY ROOM HUMOR

Naruto was terrified, completely beside himself with worry and fear.

She was in so much pain . . . it was scaring him.

He couldn't save or protect her, so he simply gripped her hand, swabbed the sweat from her brow, and pressed a reassuring kiss to her knuckles.

Her weary eyes fluttered open, focusing on him with a bit of diffiulty.

" . . . Hey," she mutterd, squeezing his large hand feebly.

His lips twitched. "Hey."

Sakura sighed, a small frown perched on her brow. "Yeah . . ." she mumbled, "this sucks a ton more than I thought it would."

Her protective husband grinned affectionately, weaving his fingers through her hair. "I can only imagine," he replied, cradling her cherubic face in a calloused palm.

Sakura pinched him. "No, you can't _even _imagine." She groaned, eyelids slliding shut.

Naruto nodded, sitting next to her. He was saddened when he saw his cherry blossom gritting her teeth in agony, obviously trying to keep from crying out.

"Anything I can do?" he asked, downcast.

"Nope," Sakura forced out, "just sit there and look pretty."

Naruto sighed, gently placing a hand over her distended belly. "Kushina," he called softly, craning his neck, "you should stop punching mommy with those monster fists of yours!"

Sakura giggled, relaxing a bit. "It'll be worth it," she chuckled, patting Naruto's head.

She did _not _sound so optimistic an hour later being wheeled into the delivery room.

Naruto had never had so many bruises, nor had he been cussed out this badly.

He had never loved someone more.

**I know I promised this one would be longer, but i was wrong. But I promise, the next one is WWWAAAAYYY longer. I have it written in my handy dandy notebook, just waiting to be typed. Thanks for viewing!**


	6. Boredom Breaks the Walls

**Hey! I've been in Yellowstone the past week, so this is a bit overdue. To many's request, this oneshot took up 13 pages in my journal. It's nice and long! Enjoy!**

Boredom Breaks the Walls

Sakura, attentive and alert, sat ramrod straight, keen ears tuned to every word each Kage uttered. Her docile fingers, capable of smashing through massive boulders, flitted accross her scroll of notes like a butterfly, barely kissing the parchment with the tip of her pencil.

Naruto remained starkly opposite. His head rested against his open palm. He fought tooth and nail to keep his eyes open, but to no avail. He had a blooming bruise on his ribs, awarded by a very irritated Sakura. Her flying elbow was not visible, but it was lethal.

It wasn't really _his _fault . . . it wasn't him who decided to talk about _taxes _in his first Kage meeting.

Exhaling sharply, he stopped his drifting head from hitting the table just in time, giving the pink-haired demon another reason to jab him in the ribs.

"Meanie," he mouthed, pouting.

"Pay attention!" she hissed, jotting down something the Mizukage had just said.

Naruto sighed, fighting his heavy eyelids. If being Sakura's boyfriend didn't kill him, this boredom surely would.

His lack of concentration awarded him another Sakura-elbow. He sucked in a deep breath after she hit, massaging the ribs tenderly. Scowling, he decided to fight back. Pretending to pay attention, he secretly poked Sakura's side with two fingers. Her reaction was a massive surprise.

She yelped out loud, so sudden and out of the blue that Naruto fell out of his chair.

" . . . Miss Haruno," the Raikage growled, "is everything all right?"

The kunoichi blushed furiously, coughing to clear her throat. "I apologize, Sir. Please continue."

The enormous man shrugged, then continued his speech.

Naruto hauled himself from the floor, straightening his headband in bewilderment. Moving cautiously, he carefully slid back into his chair.

"Sakura-chan!" he whispered, "are you ticklish?"

She choicely ignored him, consuming her attention in her notes.

Naruto's jaw dropped. In all of their time together, he had _never _expected her to be ticklish. A series of devilish thoughts ran through his mind, and suddenly, he wasn't bored any more.

Sakura continued to scribble furiously, growling under her breath in irritation. She blatantly ignored the Hokage, refusing to willingly reveal her embarrassing secret. How _dare _he poke her?

Naruto pretended to listen once again, a small, impish grin hidden behind his woven fingers. When the various Kages began to argue, he found his opportunity. Dropping his hands into his lap, he clutched his previously discarded pencil and waited. Right when the argument became heated, he jabbed Sakura with the eraser.

She jumped a mile, barely managing to contain the yelp. Her pencil flew over the table, its flight cut short when it came into contact with Gaara's head.

Once again, all attention was focused on the kunoichi, who was fuming in anger.

"Gomen," she muttered gruffly, glaring daggers at her blonde companion.

Naruto could barely contain his violent laughter. Such was his difficulty that his eyes began to water with desperately hidden mirth. It fought to escape like a well trained shinobi. He struggled; it was one of the most difficult battles he had ever fought.

Almost to the point of choking, passing out, or both, he finally surrendered to his foe. He burst out howling, tears cascading from his eyes. He smacked the table several times, oblivious to the disparaging glares of the other Kages.

Sakura's furious aura was palpable. At first glance, her eyes appeared to be sockets of raw flame. Standing, she bowed low. "Excuse us for a moment," she hissed, teeth bared. Almost tearing a patch of hair from his head in her anger, she dragged him by the ear and stormed from the room furiously. Turning into a darkened hallway that was out of hearing range, she pinned him to the wall.

"What's your problem, baka Naruto?"

The new Hokage rubbed his ear, grinning stupidly. "Sakura-chan, you don't need to get so angry!"

Sakura flicked his nose, infusing a bit of chakra into her finger so that his head rebounded against the brick. "Idiot! This is your first meeting as Hokage! Do you want to look like a failure in front of your superiors?"

Naruto's face fell just a bit. "I was just bored, Sakura-chan . . ."

"Bored or not, you need to start acting like a responsible adult. You've got the lives of the entire village in your hands, Naruto!" Tapping his head, she softened her voice considerably. "This knuckleheaded brain of yours is what's going to lead our forces, keep us fed, save our economy, and inspire future generations." Releasing him slowly, she then asked, "Isn't that important to you?"

Naruto's eyes flickered, becoming serious and composed. "Don't doubt me, Sakura-chan. You know this has been my dream since before I can remember. I would never have taken it on without knowing every job and responsibility I was going to have."

"Then why aren't you taking it seriously?"

"It's hard for me to learn, you know that."

Sakura folded her arms. "Well, you don't have to involve me in your little ploys."

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Well, it was so tempting, Sakura-chan . . . I didn't know you were so ticklish!"

Sakura's aura darkened. "That's because I'm not."

"Suuurre . . ." Naruto sighed, touching her side. He laughed when she jumped.

"You are just too cute, Sakura-chan!" he flashed her a smile.

She felt her heart jump a little. She had to admit, being alone with this idiot felt like bliss . . . they hardly had time these days.

"All right!" the man in question grunted, "let's get back to that boring meeting . . . Stupid Gaara, being a pro at listening . . . I can listen! Kurama, kill me if the Kazekage gets more attention than us."

I SURE WILL, the demon fox jokingly growled, WHAT IF THAT HAS-BEEN JINJUURIKI STEALS YOUR WOMAN?

Naruto choked. "W-what?"

Kurama chuckled.

"Stupid fox," Naruto seethed, promising to pull the demon's whiskers next time they talked.

"More like stupid Naruto," Sakura jibed, folding her arms. "I _am _here, idiot . . . just because you're all chummy with Kurama now doesn't mean you have to ignore me, y'know . . ."

Naruto was taken aback. Was Sakura . . . expressing jealously?

Gently tipping her head up by the chin, he examined her eyes. Therein was a myriad of expression, ranging from strict annoyance to undying love. However, it was the emotion that resided in the very center of her pupils that drove him to worry's cliffside. That emotion was sadness.

"What's bothering you, Sakura-Chan? I can tell your upset abouth somethin'."

Surprise showed in her eyes. "Wha-? Nothing. I'm just annoyed at you-"

Naruto placed a hand over her mouth, pressing his forehead protector against her adorable forehead. "Don't lie to me, Miss Haruno."

A light blush highlighed Sakura's cheeks as she avoided meeting his eyes. Her lips were pressed together in a tight seal. She allowed her eyelids to slide shut in partial content. " . . . Baka Naruto."

He laughed, breath tickling her eyelashes. "You can tell me everything, love," he reminded her.

"Who're you to call me 'love' in public?" the irritated kunoichi growled.

"Stop avoiding the subject," Naruto argued, playfully flipping her chin. Pulling away, he glanced at her forehead and laughed. "Heh, the Hidden Leaf symbol is indented on your forehead, Sakura-Chan!"

She stared at her toes, seemingly intrigued. She didn't want to tell Naruto what was wrong . . . she would surely put a dent in his long-awaited dream.

The knucklehead's laughter faded, replaced by a sad scowl. Grumbling under his breath, he backed Sakura up against the opposite wall, reversing their positions. Now _he _was the interrogator.

Sakura's eyes flashed in warning. That was a dangerous sign.

"Just hear me out," Naruto pleaded, raising his hands in submissive surrender.

She visibly relaxed, shoulders dropping.

He grinned, relieved. "Sakura, I wanna know why you look so sad all of a sudden-"

"I'm not sad."

"Yes, you are," he snapped, eyes blazing. "I can see it in your eyes. Don't lie."

Sakura pursed her lips, gaze returning to the stone floor in defeat.

"You know I'll never be able to focus at meetings, battles, or work if I know that Sakura-Chan is sad."

The pink-haired woman sighed, barely breathing a sentace inaudible to human ears.

Naruto cocked his head, unsure. "Sorry, Sakura, I can't understand you."

Her head flipped upwards unexpectedly, bangs brushing Naruto's lips. He was astounded to see tears in her eyes when she exclaimed, "I feel like I'm going to lose you, you big idiot!"

The cutting words hung between them, silence thick in the air.

Now she'd done it. She'd put a big roadblock in his path. _Great one, Sakura . . . _

She hung her heavy head once again, ashamed. He didnt' need to worry about her . . . he had plenty of taxing hardships on his plate already.

"Forget it," she choked, pushing his arm out of the way.

" . . . Lose me?" his gruff voice questioned.

"I said _forget it_," she repeated, attempting to escape.

Naruto wouldn't have that. He grabbed her hand, no intention of letting her go. "Haruno Sakura," he demanded, "tell me."

Sakura's warrior heart hardened under his hindering presence. She wanted to be free of grasp. "Let me go," she hissed, a steely edge set in her voice.

"No. Not until you tell me."

"Uzumaki Naruto. I don't care if you're the Hokage, I will punch you so hard you won't even be able to-"

He'd had enough. Surly and strong, the Hokage pulled the resisting kunoichi to him, pressing his lips to hers almost violently, refusing her any passage to speak.

She initially wanted to shred the bold boy to pieces. However, underneath his frustration and rough touch, she could faintly detect his infuriatingly gentle side, his need to know what was plaguing her strangled heart.

All in one, the indestructable wall of self-doubt and imagined isolation surrounding her true feelings tumbled in a great collapse, exposing her fear of losing a certain blonde ninja.

Naruto slowed when he detected salt amidst Sakura's distinct taste. Breaking away gently, he cradled her face in his calloused palms. "Tell me now?" he inquired, kissing her nose affectionately.

She nodded, embarrassed that a tough girl like her had been reduced to humiliating sobs. Allowing Naruto to wipe the tear tracks from her cheeks, she cleared her throat. "Well," she began, "I guess that it started when I found out that you and the Nine Tails were friends. You told me after you brought Sasuke back . . . after . . ."

"After you had to heal the crap out of me, right?"

Sakura nodded, barring the horrible memory from her mind. "Yeah, after that."

"And after your adorable confession?"

"Don't bring that up," Sakura growled, pinching his cheek as if he were a naughty child. "Anyways . . . you became Hokage when you were fully healed." She paused, blushing a bit.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"I just feel really selfish and stupid. After you gained all of this attention, support, and responsibility . . . I wanted to be one hundred percent happy for you, but one little part of me just . . ."

Naruto ruffled her hair with kind fingers, stroking the silken strands from her face. "You thougth I wouldn't have any time left to be with you?" he asked reverently, placing one hand on his hip.

Sakura bit her lip, avoiding his curelean gaze.

He blinked. He had gotten it right . . . and now, her confession had drunken butterflies rebounding off the walls of his leaping stomach. For some odd reason, Sakura's sill fear was sending him all aflutter.

She became worried when his consuming silence stretched on endlessly. "Sorry," she mumbled, "it was stupid of me to tell you."

" . . . No," Naruto spoke, "it was _not_." He took hold of her hand, staring down at her petite fingers. "I'm just wondering why you didn't tell me this sooner."

Sakura stared at him, slightly confused. "I didn't want to worry you," she answered, squeezing his fingers.

"You never have to worry about worrying me, Sakura-Chan. You know why?"

The edges of Sakura's lips barely twitched upward. "Why?"

He grinned. "I may be Hokage, but I am _your _Hokage. I may be the Nine Tails Jinjuuriki, but I am _your _Nine Tails Jinjuuriki. I may be a ninja, but I am _your _ninja. My life belongs to you." Tugging her hands, he drew her face mere millimeters from his and released her hands.

"You drive a convincing argument, Hokage-sama."

"You bet, Miss Haruno."

They laughed together, noses touching. Naruto leaned in further, so close that Sakura could almost feel his lips on hers. Her fears seemed silly when they were together like this . . . her eyes slid shut, anticipant of the kiss.

They flew open in fury a split second later when Naruto devilishly denied her, tickling her sides with a hearty laugh.

He was about to be _her _dead meat.

**I'm not especially fond of this chapter. I feel that it's wayy to sloppy and random. Thank you so much to all who have reviewed and read so far! I'll update soon!**


	7. All That I Have

**hey, guys :) I. Am. So. Sorry! You know, when school started up, I didn't think it'd be this hard. I mean, this is senior year! I oughta be popping out these stories like baby bunnies! Yeah, I have an average of 5 hours of homework a day. I'll be busy, but I promise to keep this updated now! Also, I'm beginning a multi-chapter narusaku fic, keep an eye out for it! **

**Read on!**

All That I Have

She fought and clawed in sheer desperation, ignoring the burning cuts and broken bones that scraped against one another in her body. She didn't care that she was two steps from death; she just wanted to get to Naruto.

The battle had been horrid. Never in her life had she seen so many shinobi slaughtered in cold blood. Even she, a seasoned kunoichi, was shaken beyond the bonds of belief.

That didn't matter right now. All that drove her tattered body on was the thought of Naruto, broken and bleeding, halfway submerged in a stream that ran red with the blood of fallen warriors.

She needed to save him. He was Konaha's last and only hope . . . Without him, they would never survive. They would fall, torn apart by their own lust for survival and power.

So she continued clawing, ignoring the aching bones, the dripping blood, the nails that were being torn from their fleshy beds. She fought till she reached him.

His appearance was, to say the least, discouraging. How he was clinging to life, Sakura had no clue. His skin, white as dove's wings, showed no sign of blood. Instead, that desperately needed fluid was scattered over the entire trampled clearing, splattered about the rocks that surrounded him and caked along his ghastly wounds.

His arms: Broken. His eyes: Blackened.

To any normal passerby, Naruto Uzumaki was dead.

Sakura was anything but normal. Despite the fact that she herself needed instant healing, she dragged her shattered body to his, hauling her leadened limbs to a sitting position. Her soiled hands dropped to his chest. She flinched when the tender bones cracked.

He was at death's door . . . she had to keep that entrance firmly shut.

Her eyelids drifted shut, and she concentrated as best she could. Her exhausted chakra stirred, following her directions as she guided their tendrils to Naruto's body.

He spasmed as soon as the first ounce of healing chakra hit his body. His eyes flew open, pupils dialated, breathing panicked. His chest heaved, shuddering when the broken ribs creaked in defiance.

"Shhh . . ." Sakura crooned, raising one hand to cradle his face. "Just relax."

"S-Sakura-Chan," he whispered, gasping in pain. " . . . Everybody?"

Her expression grew pained. "We're the only ones left," she said, eyes clouding as she masked her blistering pain.

"No," he winced.

"Just relax," Sakura repeated. "I'm healing you. I'm trying to fix your ribs, so stop breathing so hard."

Naruto's flighty eyes traveled from her hands to her body. He realized how beaten she was. However, he was distracted away from her appearance when a stray bone clicked into place, causing him to elicit a scream. He writhed in pain, starting every time a bone returned to its original form.

Sakura bit her lip, holding back the tears as she healed. Her heart began to ache.

It seemed ages before Naruto finally calmed somewhat, his labored breaths rattling in his newly healed chest. His exhausted eyes were glazed over in agony; Sakura was sure her eyes were the same. She wanted to allow her eyelids to shut . . .

"Listen," she spoke hoarsely, "I don't think we have very much time . . . My chakra is almost depleated and I'm exhausted. As of right now, we are both dying . . ."

"Why . . . doesn't that . . . surprise me?" Naruto wheezed, dumbfounded at how much pain he was suffering.

Sakura chanced a bit of a smile, but it was immediately shoved aside by a blank mask as she tried to hold her suffering at bay.

She focused more intensely, shuddering when her body surpassed the availability of her chakra.

She didn't have long . . . and he didnt' understand it yet.

His breathing steadied when she repaired his bruised lungs.

For the most part, the healing session went smoothly. However, it screeched to a halt when Naruto suddenly realized what Sakura was sacrificing.

"No!" he stated, pushing her delicate hands from his chest. "Sakura-Chan, don't you _dare_!"

She swayed, dangerously close to blacking out. Forcing a smile to her lips, she caressed his forehead, which was now free from a few bumps and bruises.

"Too late," she mouthed, blood dripping from her lips and onto his.

This really wasn't a bad choice . . . He would live, she would die . . . It was a good thing, right? He would live . . .

She watched as Naruto's eyes filled with horror and crushing panic. Then, she began to fall, body limp as a flower cut from its stem.

Naruto scrambled, getting to his knees just in time to clumsily catch Sakura. Hastily adjusting her to the most comfortable position, he began to stammer her name over and over again, desperately hoping beyond all reason that she would cling to his quivering voice like a lifeline.

"Sakura-Chan! Sakura! Sakura-Chan, come on, I know you can hear me . . . Open those eyes, Sakura-Chan! Call me an idiot!"

He swept the hair from her face, almost angry at the silky pink strands.

No . . . not pink. Red. Stained by her own precious blood.

She was torn apart. Not an inch of her ivory skin had been left unscathed. Blood trickled from her mouth, falling from her chin to Naruto's tattered jacket. Her caved chest shuddered when she gasped for air, the effort bearing no fruit.

Naruto's lip bean to tremble, eyes brimming. "Why . . ?" he asked her, reluctant to force such a question out of her in this state. Right now, he wanted to be a healer like her, to steal away her pain and burdens, make her whole again.

Her glazed eyes rolled, green irises lost in the dialation of her pupils. " . . . S . . . s . . . stupid . . ." she managed to whisper, the minor effort draining more blood from her failing body. Her hand twitched, almost as if she wanted to cuff him over the head as she normally would . . . Just as she had this very morning, her teasing smile accompanying it . . .

Naruto shook his head, biting his lip. Ignoring his instincts, he took hold of her hand, gentle and strong. "You're the stupid one, Sakura-Chan," Naruto said, "to waste your life on me."

He could have sworn that she rolled her eyes. It brought a ray of bright hope through the ominous cloud of uncertainty. "That's my girl," he said hoarsely, ever so carefully rubbing the blood from her chin with the heel of his hand.

When he pulled away, she was smiling. It almost made his heart burst.

She looked as if she had something to say.

"What is it?" he asked, holding her a bit closer. "You want to tell me something?"

Her head twitched. A nod?

Her urged her on, foreheads touching.

She sighed, breath rank of blood. After a short coughing fit, she feebly wiped her llips. It was useless; the blood returned as soon as it left.

"Here," Naruto gently prompted, pulling a small hanky dotted with frogs from her jacket. He delicately dabbed her lips, accepting the gratitude that shone in her emerald eyes.

"You know," Naruto murmured, trying to distract them both from her pain, "I don't get it. How do you always manage to stay so beautiful, Sakura-Chan?"

The kunoichi's heart rate amped up for a split second, sending a flash of life through her body. Why was he always so kind when she had always been unfailingly rude?

"I . . ." she rasped, "have . . . a con . . . fession." She averted her eyes, embarrassed despite the fact that seh was hanging on by a few threads.

"I knew it!" Naruto laughed brokenly, trying to keep the darkening atmosphere positive. "You totally had a secret thing with Chouji!"

Sakura stared at him dumbly, wanting to laugh, but deciding against it. It was already painful enough to breathe. She spared herself the agony, instead shaking her head so slightly that it took the blonde idiot a moment to notice.

"Sorry," he said, coughing lightly. He almost brought a hand to his mouth, but he realized that his palms were slick with her blood. A wave of nasuea disrupted his bowels; there was a gaping wound in her side.

Gulping, he looked away, applying as much pressure as he could to the gash without her noticing. "I'll just guess, Sakura-Chan. That way you don't have to talk. Got it?"

She nodded, wimpering a bit.

"All right," Naruto began, now fully aware that they didn't have long. "You have a secret ramen fetish."

He was rewarded with a dignified scowl.

"All right, all right," he chuckled. Throwing aside all hesitation, he murmured, "You love me."

The forest had never seemed so quiet.

Sakura's eyes were closed. As Naruto watched, two tiny tears, beautiful like diamonds, free of blood or dirt, fell from her eyelashes. Barely discernable, her chin tilted upward, indicating a positive reply.

Naruto exhaled, the breath shuddering in his chest as if he had been holding it in for years.

"Sakura-Chan," he breathed, "I'm sorry, but . . . I really want to hear you say it, just once . . . I've been waiting for-"

Using the last of her depleated strength, Sakura seized his collar, knuckles brushing his throat, and pulled him close so that their noses barely brushed.

"Don't make me . . . say it twice," she hissed through clenched teeth, bearing the pain. Lips barely hovering millimeters away from his, she whispered, "I . . love you, Baka Naruto . . . Don't you ever . . . forget it."

She tasted of cherry blossoms.

**Thank you for reading! :D**


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